David walkeb



D. WALKER.

STAIR ROD SEGURER.

N0. 351,227. Patented 0011.19, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

DAVID \VALKER, OF NEW'ARK, NEW JERSEY.

STAlR-ROD SECURER.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 351,227, dated October 19, 1886.

(ModcL) To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stair-Rods and Fastenings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of stairrods and the fastenings therefor having sides or edges lying at right angles to one another to lie parallel with the step and riser of the stairway, and thus to fit closely into the angle formed by said step and riser, so that no deep recesses or corners are formed in which the dust may settle, the exposed or outer sur face or surfaces being in most cases curved, so that a section of the rod forms a quadrant.

The especial objects of the invention are to facilitate the process of removing or detaching the rod from the stairway when taking up the carpet, to provide a more perfect and sightly fastening, and to reduce the cost of manufacture.

The invention consists in the arrangements and combinations of parts, substantially as hereinafter set forth and finally embodied in the clauses of the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like lettersindicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved fastener in operative engagement with the rod. Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 a front view, ofthe fasteningcap. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a plate for covering the slot in said cap, showing also a fasteuing-screwin connection with said plate. Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken through line 00, Fig. 1; and Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations illustrating certain modifications in the construction of the cap.

In said drawings, it indicates a portion of a stairway; b, the stair-carpet, which is held in place by the rod; 0, the said rod,which has two sides at right angles to fit snugly into the angle formed by the step and riser of the stairway, and has the exposed surface curved, as indicated, so that the rod in section or end elevation forms a quadrant, and d d are fasteners arranged at the opposite ends of the rod to hold said rod, and indirectly the carpet, down in place on the stairway. Said fasteners are caplike levers which fit over the ends of the rod, the curved plate 0 thereof conforming to the curved surface of the rodto prevent any pivotal play to said rod, and extending across the exposed surface of the said rod and engaging the faces of the step and riser, forming angles 9 therewith, which are greater than right angles, so that should dust settle on the rod it can without any difficulty be brushed off. The portion f of the cap extends down from the plate 6 into the angle formed by the step and riser and covers the end of the rod, concealing it entirely from view, so that it can be roughly finished at the ends and prevents dust from entering under the said plate f. The edgesgg of this portion engage the faces of the step and riser and make close joints therewith.

To allow the plate 6 to overlap the carpet, I have recessed the ends thereof, as at h 71., Figs. 1, 3, and 6, the said recesses being about equal to the thickness of the carpet.

The fastener is adjustably secured to the riser or to the step,or to both the step and riser, by means of a fulcrumal screw, tack, nail, or any otherequivalent fastening device or mechanism, 13, a screw being preferred. The screw or fastener preferably works in a slot, j, formed in the cap, either in the plate e, as in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, or at one edge thereof, as in Fig. 6, or at both edges, as in Fig. 7, the cap in the first and last instances working to and from the end of the red by a simple sliding movement and in the second instance by a vertical and pivotal movement. The slot j may be open, and thus allow the fastener to be entirely detached from the screw or fastener.

To conceal the slot, which may under some circumstances be considered unsightly, I have provided an outer plate, 70, which is perforated to allow a passage for the screw and shaped to conform to and closely hug the surfaces surrounding the slot to be hidden.

I am aware that round stair-rods have been provided with slotted caps, as in Patent No. 88,966; that fasteners, but not caps, have been provided for use in connection with a quadrantal rod to keep a floorcarpet in place, the fastener being secured to the base-board of a room, (see, for example, Patent No. 245,825;) and, further, that triangular stair-rods having three flat sides have had clasping-plates which terminate in V-shaped flaps (see Patent No.

162,416) secured thereon, at the extremities thereof, by screws which pass through the said platesand the said extremities and hold all the parts together. I do not wish to be understood as claiming any of the'constructions shown and described in the patents above mentioned. The triangular form of rod referred to as being shown in Patent No. 162,416,

surface adds the stiffness lacking in the said triangular form. The improved fastener embodying myinvention is particularly adapted for use in connection with'the quadrantal form of rod to hold the same perfectly and closely in the angle formed by the step and riser of the stairway without allowing any play or opportunity for displacement by the rod turning in its bearings, and at the same time covering the end of the said quadrantal rod, so that its rough or unfinished surface will not be exposed to view. The closed form of slotemployed in the improved device is of service. in that it permanently secures the cap to the stairway, so that it cannot be lost or mislaid, while it allows it to be disengaged from the rod, so that the rod may be removed from the 7 angle and the carpet be readily taken up.

Again, I am aware that the patent of Uhry,

No. 101,064, shows a pivoted cap to hold the end of a stair-rod; but my improvement difand riser and on the screw or fulcrum, may be caused to slide over the end of the rod into close contact therewith, so as'to hold the parts rigidly together and avoid the looseness above referred.

Having thus described the invention,what I claimas new"is I 1. In combination with the rod, a fastener, (I, having the plate 6, for holding the rod in place, said plate having recesses h h. to receive the edges of the carpet, substantially as set forth.

2. The cap-like lever for securing the end of a stair-rodto-the stair case or way,which consists, essentially, of a metal piece having a longitudinai'slot to receive a fulcrumal screw, bearings to engage the step and riser, and a quadrantal plate, 6, to cover and conceal the end'ofthe rod,the slot lying between the bearing for said rod and the bearings for said step and riser, the said lever being thus adapted to move longitudinally on said fulcrum and step and riser to and from holding and covering engagement with the, end of the said rod, sub stantially as set forth. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of January, 1886.

DAVID WALKER.

Viitnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, OSCAR A. MICHEL. 

